New Delhi’s plan to clean its air might be working

NEW DELHI — The High Court in India’s capital said Monday that it would not stop the city’s alternate-day driving trial, giving a boost to the 15-day program that officials hope will curb some of the worst urban air pollution in the world.

The court had reviewed several public-interest petitions that had challenged the program, which, since Jan. 1, has limited drivers to odd or even days depending on their license plate number.

Officials have said the odd-even plan has brought down pollution levels during peak hours and removed more than 1 million cars a day from the capital’s normally jammed roads.

New Delhi, which is home to 6 million people and 8 million vehicles, has the worst air of any major city in the world, according to a 2014 World Health Organization study.

The Delhi transport and rural development minister, Gopal Rai, praised the court’s decision, saying it would help the children of the city — who are increasingly suffering respiratory ailments — to breathe freely.

Delhi residents have carpooled, crammed themselves into crowded buses and dusted off scooters they haven’t used for years in an effort to do their civic duty — and avoid a $30 fine. About 6,000 citations have been issued so far.

During restricted travel times — 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., excluding Sundays — traffic flowed as freely as on a holiday, while buses and Metro trains were full at some points during rush hour. Commuters complained that the city’s auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers were price-gouging.